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TV chef's praise for Red Pump Inn's rabbit haggis 'first'
TV CHEF and expert forager Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has bowed down to the Ribble Valley's Red Pump Inn and retracted the claim, made on his Sunday programme, that his rabbit haggis was a culinary first.
Diners at the Ribble Valley inn have been eating rabbit haggis as part of the Red Pump's award-winning menu since 2007, when owner Martina Myerscough created the dish for their annual GameFest.
Hugh says: "I should have realised that claiming my River Cottage rabbit haggis was 'possibly a culinary first' was a provocative statement and am both humbled and delighted to hear I have, I fact, been beaten to it by the highly creative culinary team at The Red Pump Inn in the Ribble Valley.
"I understand they've had rabbit haggis on the menu for a couple of years now, and when I am next in the area I will make a point of tracking it down.
"In the meantime I wish everyone well at the Red Pump Inn and trust their clientele will be as delighted with their rabbit haggis as the Dorset WI ladies were with mine.
"Incidentally, I bet they don't serve theirs while wearing nothing but a rabbit skin cravat, rabbit fur briefs and slippers. It's really the only way."
Red Pump Inn owner Martina Myerscough said: "We're great fans of Hugh here at the Inn and rarely miss an episode of River Cottage, but when he claimed his rabbit haggis as a culinary first I admit I stood up and spoke, loudly, to the television!
"Happily I wasn't the only person watching as we had some customers ring to joke he was clearly going to take 'possession' of one of our most popular, if not unusual, dishes.
"As we take our creations very seriously in Lancashire, we had to stand up for our menu! Hugh, being the gentleman he is, immediately got back in touch and rabbit haggis once again belongs to the Red Pump Inn.
"We will, however, definitely leave the rabbit fur attire to him, there's no way we'd look as good as he does in rabbit fur knickers."
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Weather for Clitheroe
Sunday 05 February 2012
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